China’s lost generation?

To move up the global value chain and face the demographic challenges, China needs to unleash the full human potential of its population. While the recent leadership reshuffle has renewed hope for reform, many of the 36 m migrant children are still destined to a second-class education. Many children of migrants in urban areas do not have access to public schools. Illegal fees and the restricting hukou system see many of them ending up in cheap, private institutions with inferior academic results. The long-term consequence of failing to educate these children is continued inequality, a further segregated society and possibly a lost generation of skilled workers that China is sorely in need of.

Work hard — play hard. China – 2013

The “Chinese dream” – we have a doctor, a scientist, a teacher, two pilots and even an astronaut! China – 2013